Trolley-wheel mount.



J. R. STOTELMYER L W. S. HBNSELL.

TROLLEY WHEEL MOUNT.

APPLICATION FILEDMAY10,1912.

1,102,453, Patented July 7, 1914.

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THE NORRIS PETERS CU.. PHoIo-LITHD.. WASHlNuwN. u, c.

JOSEPH R. STOTLMYER .AND WALTER S. HENSELL,

or naennsrown, MAnYLANn.

TROLLEY-WHEEL MOUNT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July *7, 1914.

Application led May 10, 1912. Serial No. 696,381.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOSEPH ROBERT STO- TELMYER and VALTER S. l-lnNsELL, citizens of the United States, residing at l-Iagers town, in the county of llVashington and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trolley Wheel Mounts, of which the following is-a speci flcation. y

rlhis invention relates to trolleys for electric railway cars, the main object of the invention being to provide a trolley in which the trolley wheel is swiveled to turn on an axis, to adapt it to accommodate itself to curves and irregularities in the conductor wire, and therebyk prevent it from accidentally leaving thewire.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for firmly retaining `the wheel spindle in position. bracing the stationary member of the swivel connection and lubricating the journal bearings, and also for limiting the axial movements of the wheel and returning the same to normal position.

A Still further object of the invention is to provide a construction of trolley which may be economically manufactured, and which permits of the ready assemblage, repairs and replacement of parts.

rlhe invention consists of the features of construction, co-mb'nation and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which l Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a trolley wheel andkpole embodying our 1nvention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same, with parts in verticaltransverse sec-y tion. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view ofthe wheel supporting member. Fig. 4 is a detail section on line ,1 -l of Fig. l;

Referring to the drawing, 1 designates a trolley pole or a bracket adapted for attachment thereto, said pole or bracket having a longitudinal socket 2 opening through its outer end, an upstanding shield 3 and an arm 4t provided with a reduced extension 5 formed with an opening 6. The opening 6 receives a threaded wheel-supporting stem or shank 7 fastened in position by clamping nuts 8. Said stem or shank carries at its upper head a spherical ball or head 7 The trolley comprises a wheel-supporting me1nber 9 formed in its base with an internally threaded socket 10 and above said socket with a semi-circular cavity 11,.and having upstanding fork arms 12 formed with recesses to receive the trolley wheel spindle 19. which is clamped in'position by removable cap pieces 13. This spindle is hollow and has a threaded open end 14, while its opposite end .is closed by a flanged head 15.

The bore of the wheel 16 receives a bushing 17 closed at its ends by flanged screw caps 18 which clamp it to the wheel. Inclosed within said bushing between the caps are anti-friction roller bearings 19 which j turn in contact with the bushing and spindle and provide for an easy revoluble motion of the wheel. These bearing elements may be removed when the wheel is worn and discarded and applied to a new wheel, and the construction described also permits new roller bearings to be substituted for old ones when occasion requires. A leaf spring 20 is fixed at one end to one of the fork arms and has its freeend forked to straddle the spindle and bear against the adjacent screw cap and limit the lateral play of the wheel on the spindle. 0n the removal of the cap pieces 13 the wheel and spindle may be removed for repairs or renewal of parts, aS occasion requires. The hollow spindle forms a lubricant feed channel and is provided with perfora-tions 21 for the passage ofthe lubricant to the bearing surfaces.

The wheel supporting member 9 carries a threaded retaining member 22 which enters and engages the threaded socket 10. Said member 22 is formed with a vertical passage 23 through which the stem or shank 7 extends, which passage communicates at its upper end with a semispherical cavity 2d cooperating with the cavity 11 in the member 9 to form a circular or spherical socket to receive the ball or head 7 whereby the trolley is supported for rotary motion on the head to adapt it to swing laterally to enable the wheel 16 to follow curves or irregularities in the conductor wire `without coming olf the wire. For the purpose of also permitting the trolley totilt laterally to a determined degree while following a curve in the track, the passage 23 is made flaring as shown, and to limit the rotary and tilting motion of the trolley the head 7 is provided with a conical or tapered lug or projection 25 which is relatively movable both vertically and circumferentially within a partially circular recess 96 formed in the member' 22 whereby the trolley is permitted. to tilt laterally and turn or rot-ate on its axis to a desired extent to efliciently per- Y form its described functions.

As shown, the member 9 is provided with a duct 25 through which the bearing surfaces of the. ball and socketjoint may be lubricated, said.

hole for passage of a binding screw 23,'

which bears against the member 9 and holds said :members 9 and 22 .against relative rotation. Engaging said screw is a checknut which prevents it from loosening. Formed onfthe rearface of the member 9 is a pair of spaced lugs 30 having inner bev.'-V eled faces 31, between which lugs is normally arrangedfa head 32 having coacting beveled faces, said head beingcarried by :a stem 33 slidable fin the socket 2 and backed by .an expansion spring 34 disposed in said socket. Zhen 4the wheel supporting .member .and retaining member .turn orrotate laterally in either direction with thev wheel, the ybeveled face of one or the other of the lugs :30 slides over the adjacent beveled face ofthe .head 32, forcing the stem backwardly into the socket against the .resistance ofthe spring34, the acting .lug and head thus permitting the said-members to turn Vto a determined degree vand forming `a yielding resistance and stop members tolimit the .turning movement. When the .turning pressure upon the wheel kceases-and :the wheel begins to return `to normal position, Vthis operation is .facilitated bythe lexpansion of the spring 34 yand -action .of ythe beveled head on ythe ment-ionedlug, whereby a positive return movement of :the trolley wheel and .its support is insured. .When `the trolley .WLheel and support turn in the opposite direction, the otheror opposite lug lcoaots with the head to perform the same functions. The shield V3 v'is arranged so as to come infclose proximity lto kthe-portion ofthe trolley wheel lying above vthe space between ythe rotary support `and -bracket arm, to prevent any possibility of the feed wire or a 'crossing wire passing downwardly into said space and becoming caught in the trolley.

The threaded end of the hollow spindle receives `an'elbow coupling 35 which communicates `with kthe upper threaded end 36 of .a lubricant cylinder or receptacle 37, which receptacle is closed at its lower .end by a `screw cap 38. A Valve 3G is provided in the part 36 'to control the feed ofthe lubricant. The receptacle .is arranged vertically at one side of the trolley support and rests upon aV bracket member-39, suitably secured to the flange of the retaining member 22, as by screws 40, and having at its lower end an arm `4l pivotally connected' in any suitable manner to the lower endof the stem or shank 7, as by means of a screw 42 entering a threaded .plug 43 fitted in said shank.

'anti-friction bearings to lubricate the trolley wheel, the piston being normally urged on its-feeding motion yby la spring46.' The Stem is threaded to receive an adjusting, and stop nut 47, adapted to `abut aga-inst thetop of the bracket to' limit the upward-motion vof the -piston,`whereby provision may bema'de for .the` use of `dilferentkinds of lubricant. It will `be seen that the lubricator Y is mounted to turn freely with the trolley wheel, and .thus :is always maintained in `condition for automatic action, and that itacts as astay to cillatio'n.

From the foregoing description ltaken in connection vwith the accompanying drawing, the construction and modevof operation of our improved trolley will beV readily understood, and it will be seen that the .invention provides ,a trolley which is adjustable to accommodate itself to-curves and `irregularities in the line wire without undue wear or lia-l bility of .jumping thewire, whereby o the necessity of .constantly replacing the trolley `wheel on 4the wire is avoided, also ythat the construction described enables. the parts to be easily andconveniently .assembledand disassembled for repairs and Yreplacement of parts vwhenever occasion requires. .It-will further b e seen'that the invention provides simple and .effective means 'for maintaining the trolley wheel .in working position, together with a lubricating mechanism .mounted to turn or rotate with the Wheel, whereby anv automatic lubricating action vis .at all times insured.

We claimqrl. In a support for "trolley wheels,a;pole havinga horizontal portion provided with a recess therein and terminating in an arm having a horizontal portion, ashank carried by and projecting upwardly-from said horizontal portion of the arm, a ball carried by the shank, a socket mounted to rotate horizontally and tilt lvertically upon .the ball, saidfsocket being providedwith yfork arms, a trolley wheel journaled in said fork arms,

prevent lthe wheel from having undue osnormally spaced .beveledsurfaees on the socket, and

a spring actuated' plunger movable in Asaid recess and having a headlprovided with beveled surfaces extending between and rcoacting with the beveled surfaces on .the socket to limit the rrotarymovement thereof.V y

2. lInvasupport for trolleywheels, a ypole having a horizontal portiony :provided with a. vdepending `arm extending `parallel ltherel` with, `a Ishank extending.u1: wardly from said arm and carrying a ball, a socket mounted upon the ball to rotate horizontally and tilt vertically, said socket` being provided with fork arms, interengaging elements upon the socket and horizontal p0rtion of the pole for limiting the rotary motion of the socket in either direction, and a trolley wheel journaled upon said fork arms. 3. In a support for trolley poles, a pole having a horizontal portion provided with an arm disposed below the plane thereofiand parallel therewith, a ball member rising vertically from said arm, a socket mounted to revolve horizontally and to tilt longitudinally and laterally on said ball member, a trolley wheel journaled on the socket member, spaced stops on said socket member having opposed beveled faces, and a spring projected plunger mounted upon the horizontal portion of the pole and provided with a beveled head coperating with the beveled surfaces of the stop members to limit the opposite horizontal rotary movement of the socket member to a predetermined degree.

4. In a support for trolley poles, a pole having a horizontal portion provided with disposed below the plane thereofand parallel therewith, a ball member rising vertioally from said arm, a socket mounted to revolve horizontally and to tilt longitudinally and laterally on said ball member, a trolley wheel journaled on the socket member, spaced stops on said socket member having opposed beveled faces, a spring projected plunger mounted upon the horizontal portion of the pole and provided with a beveled head cooperating with the beveled surfaces of the stop members to limit the opposite horizontal rotary movement of the socket member to a predetermined degree, and stop elements upon the ball and socket members opera-tive to permit the socket member to have a wider range of horizontal rotary motion and to limit such motion in the event of the passage of either of said stop members out of engagement with and beyond the head of the plunger.

In testimony whereof we aliix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH R. STOTELMYER. WALTER S. HENSELL. Witnesses:

LEWIS E. TURNER, J. HUBERT STOTELMYER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, '.D. C. 

